What if you had, within you, a resource for your own healing that you already use in everyday life? Would you work with that ability to bring yourself more peace, harmony, and wellness? We’re guessing you’re nodding your head, “yes.” Now say, “yes” aloud. Congratulations—you just performed a healing act! Your ability to make sound—to speak, to hum, to sing, to moan, to chant, etc.— as well as to listen and cultivate certain sounds in your environment, is a healing step you can take daily.

I recently spoke with Jonathan Goldman, international sound healing authority and bestselling author of The 7 Secrets of Sound Healing, on what we can do to improve our everyday lives through the power of sound.

Jonathan, most people don’t realize how sound affects our wellbeing on a daily basis. You say that whether we realize it or not there is a constant effect that sound has on our mind and our body. How so?

Yes, every single sound goes into our ears and affects our brain, nervous system, heart rate, and our breathing. So, tip #1 for healing with sound is to be aware that sound has a positive or negative effect on you, actually entering the cellular structure of our bodies. Think of how you react when you hear a startling sound, like a loud crash or boom. Your physical body could abruptly jolt, you might instinctively cover your ears, your heart rate accelerates, your breathing becomes rapidly shallow, and you become stressed out. Now, when you hear a sound that you consider pleasant and soothing, the opposite effect occurs: your heart rate slows down, your breathing becomes more rhythmic, your nervous system is calmed, and your mental clarity can be enhanced.

Those are two extremes of sound, both unpleasant and pleasant, but the daily noise that we consider normal must also be affecting our wellbeing. Should we be paying attention to that?

Absolutely. It’s a good idea to take a break of silence in your day for 5-10 minutes to observe and just listen to the noises around your everyday environment. Write them down and label them on a scale of 1-5, 5 being the most pleasant and 1 being the most disturbing.

My tip #2 is to determine how you can eliminate or at least avoid those sounds that bother you and what can you do to surround yourself more with the sounds that please you. For example, does the phone ringing drive you crazy? Who says you have to hear it? Turn off the ringer and check your messages regularly.

When you are not unconsciously listening to sounds that drain you and instead are cultivating sounds that soothe and uplift you, you find you have more energy on a daily basis. It’s an amazing thing.

[A 2008 study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine reports that listening to music you consider joyful for 30 minutes helps release endorphins to relieve pain and reduce stress.  Another recent study from Seattle University showed that listening to Mozart for 12 minutes 3x a week can lower systolic blood pressure by seven points.]

We’re a “bigger is better,” “louder is stronger” thinking society. You say for our own wellbeing, we should turn down the volume (tip #3).

I recommend that. Louder music may feel good, but it can potentially have adverse effects. Though it provides a release of adrenaline, which initially gives you energy, it ultimately stresses your body and mind and depletes you of energy. It could also lead to loss of hearing.

Should we also pay attention to the volume we speak and our general tone of voice for our wellbeing?

Try this: yell a sentence right now (making sure, of course, that there’s no one around to receive this sound energy!). How do you feel? A bit drained and anxious, perhaps? Now, softly speak that sentence in the most calm and confidant voice you can muster. Feel the difference. Which way do you think is more effective for you to produce and for others to receive? The answer is pretty obvious. How you talk and the tone of voice you use is often more effective in getting someone to listen to you, than what you’re actually saying; particularly if you’re a parent.

If everyone can remember that “the true sound of healing is love,” a quote from Sarah Benson, a primary teacher of sound healing for me, then you will automatically know how to cultivate healing sound in your world. Tip #4 is to ask yourself if producing or listening to sound or music makes you feel more loving or not? If the answer is yes, this is a good thing!

Your tip #5 is that everyone should have a personal library of soothing sound CDs. One of your most popular CDs is called Ultimate Om. How was this CD created and what is the benefit for those who listen to it?

I describe Ultimate Om this way—imagine being in a temple, surrounded by hundreds of people chanting the sacred mantra, “Om,” in a continuous, fluid wave of sonic vibration. It is literally the recording of hundreds of voices chanting “Om,” which is the original sacred sound of the universe—the sound that manifested all. It is the sound of the cosmos, the resonance of the Divine, the sound of peace. Listening to this CD can create balance and alignment in everyday lives, assisting in calming and centering mind and body.  

~Jill Daniel

Jonathan Goldman has created a number of CDs for healing, relaxation, energy, and de-stressing, all of which can be sampled at healingsounds.com.

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